Former State House Senior Advisor Moses Kuria has once again pulled the lid off Kenya’s dark political underbelly, exposing how Members of Parliament were allegedly bribed to execute a purge in Parliament.
In a bombshell revelation, Kuria claims that MPs were handed Ksh100,000 each by the Uhuru Kenyatta administration to remove then-Majority Leader Aden Duale in the 12th Parliament.
His claims come barely a week after President William Ruto condemned legislators for soliciting bribes, reviving old wounds about corruption deeply entrenched in Kenya’s legislative chambers.
Moses Kuria Details Cash Handouts in Duale Ouster
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview, Moses Kuria admitted that bribery was not just hearsay but a practice openly conducted in the corridors of power. According to him, the removal of Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, who had fallen out with the Uhuru Kenyatta administration, was fueled by money.
“In the 12th Parliament, we were given some money by the Uhuru Kenyatta regime to remove Aden Duale as the Majority Leader. It is on Hansard that I waved the money I was given there. You cannot say it doesn’t happen,” Kuria stated.
Kuria further revealed that each MP pocketed Ksh100,000 to endorse Amos Kimunya as Duale’s replacement. To prove his point, Kuria said he carried the money to the National Assembly chamber and offered to return it, ensuring the scandal was captured in official parliamentary records.
The revelation is not new. Back in 2021, Kuria told the BBC that MPs had been “facilitated” to replace Duale, but his fresh admission has reignited debate on how much Kenya’s democracy is influenced by under-the-table deals.
Aden Duale Targeted in Political Realignment
At the time, the country’s politics were in turmoil, split between Kieleweke, the pro-Uhuru faction, and Tangatanga, allied to then-Deputy President William Ruto. Duale, though initially loyal to the government, had increasingly leaned toward Ruto, making him a political liability in Uhuru’s camp.
His ouster as Majority Leader symbolized the broader purge against dissenting voices within Jubilee Party. The regime orchestrated a calculated realignment in Parliament to sideline Ruto’s allies, but according to Moses Kuria, MPs were not moved by conviction—they were moved by cash.
The accusation that the State House engineered parliamentary outcomes with money not only discredits the democratic process but also exposes how public funds may have been misused to entrench power.
Ruto’s Crackdown Rekindles Debate
President William Ruto’s recent declaration that MPs and Senators soliciting bribes will be arrested and prosecuted has further fueled the debate. On Monday, Ruto read the riot act to lawmakers, saying corruption in committees was undermining parliamentary credibility.
By Tuesday, the National Assembly had gone into protest mode, with all committee activities suspended in defiance of the President’s remarks. The standoff underscored the tense relationship between the executive and the legislature.
Kuria’s revelations now serve as ammunition for Ruto’s administration, showing that bribery in Parliament is not a new phenomenon but a deeply rooted practice that survived across regimes. The fact that Kuria claims the scandal is on Hansard raises serious questions about the extent of accountability in Kenyan politics.
Wrapping Up
Moses Kuria’s candid admission has reignited the debate on corruption and accountability within Kenya’s legislative arm. If MPs can be paid Ksh100,000 to impeach a Majority Leader, what prevents them from selling out on critical bills, budgets, or oversight functions?
The revelations also cast a shadow on the Uhuru Kenyatta regime, suggesting that political survival came at the cost of integrity and democracy. As President Ruto pushes for a cleanup, Kuria’s explosive claims are a reminder that corruption in Parliament has long been systemic, institutionalized, and openly executed.
